Improved measuring-stopple for canisters



W. MORRIS SMITH, OF W'ASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVED MEASURlNG-STOPPLE FOR CANlSTERS.

Specification forming part of Lett-ers Patent No. 58,311, dated' September 25, 1866.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, W. MORRIS SMITH, of Washington city and county, in the District rof Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Measuring-Stopples for Canisters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, through letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of a canister with my improvement; Fig. 2, a central vertical section of the same; and Fig. 3, a horizont-al section on the line w m of Fig. l, on an enlarged scale.

,The same letters occurring in the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

The objectof my invention is to provide for the better preservation of such articles as coffee, tea, seeds, and the like, and particularly such as are injured by exposure to the air, and at the same time to 'furnish a simple and convenient means of measuring out the contents of canisters containing such articles.

in'snlall quantities, either for use or for sale, without admitting air to the mass and it consists in providing a top or cap to a canister, by the operation of which a quantity equal to its capacity can be discharged as often as desired without opening the canister to the injury of its contents 5 furthermore, in the making of coffee or the like, to insure a uniform consumption and resulting beverage on all occasions.

To enable others to understand, make, and

'use my invention, I will describe it with reference to the drawings, in which- A represents a common canister to contain coffee, tea, or the like, its upper portion being ofconical or other convenient form. At the top of this frustum of a cone is attached a cylinder,B, arranged horizontally, which is closed at one end and open at the other, and has au elliptical, round, or other suitably-shaped hole, a, in its Lipper and lower sides, the diameter of each of which, measured on the periphery of said cylinder, is alittle less than the fourth of the circumference of the cylinder. Within this cylinder B is another cylinder, C, iitting closely, but so that it will rotate therein with ease. This cylinder C is closed at both ends, and is provided with an openin g, c, corresponding in size and shape with the openings a in cylinder B, so that when the inner cylinder is iu place, no matter in what position the hole c may be, the canister is closed against the air, and by inverting the canister and rotating the cylinder C until the aperture c is op positc the inner aperture in the cylinder B the coffee or other contents will run into and ll said cylinder, which can then be rotated half round, when its contents will be discharged. This may be repeated any number of times to measure out the quantity desired.

The outer end of the cylinder C projects radially slightly beyond the periphery of the cylinder B, and by which it is rotated; or it may be provided with a knob or handle on the end for that purpose 5 and the end of cylinder B is cut away one-half its circumference for about the eighth of an inch, thus forming two shoulders, which stop the rotation of the inner cylinder by the projection @coming against them, at which point the aperture c will be opposite one of the apertures inthe outer cylinder, and thus can be oscillated from one to the other at pleasure. A

This measuring device may be made fast to the canister, or it may be made with a collar to t the neck of one of ordinary construction and sold separate from said canisters.

I am aware that shot-pouches and powder-flasks have been lnade with provision for measuring outthe charges, which differ from.

mine, in that a distinct device from the measure is used to close the aperture between the measure and the body of the ilask, consisting` of springs and gates, which, with such articles as my invention is designed for, would be liable to become clogged and inoperative, while in mine the measure itself forms the stopple. These, therefore, I do not claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. So constructing an oscillating or rotating measuring device for canisters that their contents shall not be exposed to the external air during the act of measuring and discharging the measured quantity, substantially as herein set forth. i

2. An oscillating measuriug-chamber, C, or its equivalent, adapted to serve as a cut-oli'- or stopple for a canister, and also as a means for measuring the contents of the same, substantially as described. Y p

lVitnesses: W. MORRIS SMITH.

SYDNEY E. SMITH, N. H. VANZANDT. 

